News & Analysis as of

Denial of Insurance Coverage Duty to Defend Commercial General Liability Policies

Carlton Fields

Square Peg, Round Hole: 6th Circuit Affirms Finding That Cyber Claims Are Not Covered by CGL Policies

Carlton Fields on

In Home Depot Inc. v. Steadfast Insurance Co., Home Depot learned the hard way a rule every DIY enthusiast knows: measure twice, cut once. It appears Home Depot’s measurements were off when it sized up its insurance needs,...more

Wiley Rein LLP

Electronic Data Exclusion Precludes Coverage for Payment Card Data Breach

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The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, applying Georgia law, has held that the electronic data exclusion in commercial general liability (CGL) policies issued to a retail store company precluded coverage...more

Goldberg Segalla

[Webinar] An Ohio Primer: Critical Insurance Coverage Issues in the Buckeye State - April 9th, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT

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Ohio presents unique challenges to practitioners handling insurance claims in the state. Join Goldberg Segalla partners Michael A. Hamilton and Sean P. Hvisdas as they host a live, interactive webinar on some of the most...more

Carlton Fields

“Common Sense Should Prevail” — Federal Court Recognizes Exception to “Eight-Corners Rule,” Allows Use of Undisputed Extrinsic...

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In Southern-Owners Insurance Co. v. Midnight Tires Inc., the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida granted an insurer’s motion for summary judgment after considering extrinsic evidence on the issue of the...more

Carlton Fields

New York Federal Court Enforces “Third Party or Contracted Security” Exclusion to Abrogate Duty to Defend for All Defendants in...

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In Clear Blue Specialty Insurance Co. v. TFS NY Inc., the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, interpreting the plain and unambiguous terms of a commercial general liability policy issued by Clear Blue...more

Carlton Fields

No CGL Coverage for Opioid Distributor Sued for Economic Damages but Not Bodily Injury Damage

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In Westfield National Insurance Co. v. Quest Pharmaceuticals, the Sixth Circuit held that two insurers owed no coverage obligations to Quest Pharmaceuticals in connection with 77 lawsuits filed against it alleging misconduct...more

Carlton Fields

New York Federal Judge Finds No Duty to Defend Based on War Exclusion’s Insurrection Clause

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In Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. The Western Union Co. et al., No. 22-CV-0557 (JMF) (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 22, 2022), a federal judge in New York granted Hartford Fire Insurance Company’s motion for judgment on the pleadings and motion...more

Zelle  LLP

After Climate Rulings, Insurers May Go On Coverage Offense

Zelle LLP on

Two recently filed lawsuits, Aloha Petroleum Ltd. v. National Union Fire Insurance Co. and Everest Premier Insurance Co. v. Gulf Oil Ltd. Partnership, signal the beginning of litigation over liability insurance coverage for...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

What’s in a Name? The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Sheds Light on Potential Coverage Implications of “DBA” Designations

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It is no secret that wording matters when it comes to the interpretation of an insurance policy. Recently, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a decision indicating that this is particularly true when it comes to...more

(ACOEL) | American College of Environmental...

Just How Absolute is the Absolute Pollution Exclusion?

Despite the myriad CERCLA cases on the books, there is little – if any – jurisprudence dissecting the so-called “absolute pollution exclusion” in a comprehensive general liability insurance policy and the insurers’ obligation...more

Cozen O'Connor

Pennsylvania District Court Finds No Coverage for Foreseeable Damages to Third-Party Property Caused By Faulty Workmanship

Cozen O'Connor on

In Berkley Specialty Ins. Co. v. Masterforce Constr. Corp., No. 4:19-CV-01162, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14006 (M.D. Pa. Jan. 26, 2021) (Brann, J.), the Court recently concluded that, under Pennsylvania law, all reasonably...more

Pullman & Comley, LLC

The Connecticut Supreme Court Expands Test for Insurer’s Duty to Defend an Insured Contractor

Pullman & Comley, LLC on

Connecticut’s trend of liberal, policyholder-oriented insurance coverage decisions continued apace with the recent Connecticut Supreme Court decision, Nash Street, LLC v. Main Street America Assurance Company et al. ...more

Cozen O'Connor

Eleventh Circuit Reaffirms Exception to the ‘Four Corners’ Rule for Determining an Insurer’s Duty to Defend

Cozen O'Connor on

As a general rule, an insurer’s duty to defend arises under Florida law when the allegations of the complaint against the insured “fairly and potentially bring the suit within policy coverage.” Jones v. Fla. Ins. Guar. Ass’n,...more

Wiley Rein LLP

Insurer Waived Right to Assert Policy Exclusion First Raised in Answer to Declaratory Judgment Complaint

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The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, applying New York law, has concluded that an insurer waived the right to assert a policy exclusion as a coverage defense in a declaratory judgment action after...more

Carlton Fields

Iowa Supreme Court Finds Fatality Allegedly Caused by Gross Negligence Was a Potential “Accident” Under CGL Policy

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Coverage under most commercial general liability (CGL) policies applies only to liability arising from an “accident.” As such, injury or damage that an insured “expected or intended” to occur is not covered....more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Absolute Pollution Exclusion/Quarry Operations: Federal Appellate Court Addresses Coverage for Unplanned Discharge of Rock Fines

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (“Court”) addressed in a January 17th opinion a company’s umbrella insurance policy’s absolute pollution exclusion. See Eastern Concrete Materials, Inc., v. Ace...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Fifth Circuit Decision Excluding Coverage under Pollution Exclusion for Damage to Stream Caused by Rock Fines

In a sweeping decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit extended the absolute pollution exclusion to the unplanned discharge of “rock fines,” pellets produced during quarry operations, and denied coverage for...more

White and Williams LLP

Pennsylvania Federal Court Holds Insurer Can’t Use Insured’s Admission to Withdraw Defense

It has long been the rule, under Pennsylvania law, that an insurer's duty to defend is determined "solely" by the allegations in the "four corners" of the complaint against the insured. Kvaerner Metals Div. of Kvaerner U.S.,...more

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

How Far Does Your Sexual Abuse Liability Coverage Extend?

If faced with continuous injury claims based on past acts of sexual abuse, will an insured’s general liability policies with sexual abuse coverage defend? Purchase insurance that is carefully focused on the risks your...more

White and Williams LLP

Applying Mighty Midgets, NY Court Awards Legal Expenses to Insureds Which Defeated Insurer’s Coverage Claims

White and Williams LLP on

Is an insured (or putative insured) entitled to recover its legal expenses if it is successful in coverage litigation? In some states, no. In many other states, yes – based on either a statute or common law. In New York...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Court Finds That “Care, Custody Or Control” Exclusion Did Not Negate Coverage For General Contractor Who Shared Jobsite...

McMillin Homes Constr., Inc. v. National Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 35 Cal.App.5th 1042 (2019); Fourth Appellate District Court of Appeal, Division One, Case No. D074219 (June 5, 2019). McMillin Homes Construction, Inc....more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Federal Court in North Carolina Enforces Insurers’ Duty to Defend a General Contractor as an Additional Named Insured Under the...

Troutman Pepper Locke on

Westfield Ins. Co. v. Weaver Cooke Constr., LLC, 2019 BL 129431 (E.D.N.C. Apr. 11, 2019) - This case arises out of the alleged defective construction of a condominium complex in North Carolina. In 2009, the developer on...more

Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC

A Case to Watch: Brayman v. Westfield Insurance

Pennsylvania law suggests construction defects generally are not considered an "occurrence" under most CGL insurance policies because defects are not true accidents, e.g., a fortuitous event. However, an exception generally...more

Carlton Fields

A Lesson in Sticking to Your Guns: Court Reverses Course and Finds No Duty to Defend or Indemnify on a Motion for Reconsideration

Carlton Fields on

On May 1, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia held that a firearms exclusion in a general liability insurance policy applied to bar coverage for an underlying action arising from a shooting at the...more

Carlton Fields

California Federal Court Holds Scope of Duty to Defend Is Determined by the Language of the Contract

Carlton Fields on

In Harper Construction Co. v. National Union Fire Insurance Co. of Pittsburgh, the Southern District of California rejected an insured’s attempt to expand a CGL policy’s definition of “suit” to encompass mere demands without...more

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